


The Dance

by ElliottRookArchive (ElliottRook)



Category: Digimon - All Media Types
Genre: Dubcon Kissing, F/M, Season/Series 01, Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-04-20
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23375755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElliottRook/pseuds/ElliottRookArchive
Summary: Post-Season One. Mimi and Joe both like each other, but neither realizes the other feels the same way. When a Spring Dance comes up, Joe tries a scheme to get close to Mimi, but it backfires...or does it?
Relationships: Kido Jou | Joe Kido/Tachikawa Mimi
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

Joe sat alone, eating his lunch on the roof of the school. Gomamon had for once, fallen asleep in his bookbag, and so he was left in silence.

Silence he spent observing _her_.

She was sitting at a picnic table, surrounded by a cluster of the most popular kids in the school. She was the center of attention, as usual. The other popular girls were surrounding her, as usual.

"Mimi..." her name involuntarily crossed his lips. He slapped himself mentally. _You idiot! Such a popular girl would never like a geek like you. Honestly. A guy hoping to become a doctor, and you're staring like a freak at the school's social queen. She'll never like you in that way. She's too busy with all her_ cool _friends._

Just then the group was joined by another couple, two that Joe knew. Sora and Tai. It defied his reasoning.

Sora was a tomboy, not at all girlish. Not completely without female charms (just ask Tai), but not frilly and lacy, or ultra-cool like most of Mimi's clique. When they'd met, the rumor was that Mimi intended to give Sora some fashion tips and try to make her cool, but Mimi never had. She'd insisted that Sora be welcomed into her group just like any of the other kids. When Tai and Sora had started dating, the invitation had extended to him, but he was not quite so wont to hang out with them as Sora was.

Joe watched. Sora was treated just like the rest of them, Tai as well. Not that either of them wasn't cool, they were just a different kind of cool than Mimi's kind.

But it didn't bother Mimi. If the pops didn't like her friends, she'd tell them to stuff it, she was hanging with the ones she knew would stand beside her. Even among all the whirl of her world of fashion and reputation, Mimi was one-hundred-percent down-to-earth _real_.

Still, Joe chafed inwardly. She could never like him, not in that way. _Tai and Sora are soccer stars, so the kids in Mimi's clique deal with their looks in exchange for having jocks in their group. I'm different. I'm not a cool dresser, I don't have any athletic skills. I'd never fit in with her crowd._

Gomamon stirred, and Joe hurriedly attacked his lunch, to get enough to sustain him before Goma was begging him for half.

"Hey, Joe, you're thinking."

"Yeah, well, I do a lot of thinking. I'm studying to be a doctor, remember?"

"But you're not thinking of medical stuff."

Joe was amazed at how easily Goma exasperated him. "Gomamon. Please. I'm eating."

"You're _irritated_."

"Would you feel better if I admitted that I _am_ irritated?"

"Yes."

"Fine. I'm very irritated."

Gomamon laughed. "My work here is done. Hey, if you're not going to eat that--"

* * *

Joe was on his way out the school building when he spotted the flyer.

"SPRING DANCE!" the headline read, then went on to detail that it was being held one week from Friday night and that any of the kids in seventh grade or above were welcome, and all that other stuff.

Joe had never really cared about any of that stuff. He'd never been to a dance, didn't even know how to dance. He'd never asked a girl on a date, never been kissed. He'd never really had a crush until Mimi.

She'd matured in the last few months. Early last summer she'd been--to him, at least--an irritating thirteen-year-old ditz, who hung with the popular group for the sake of popularity, cared far too much about appearance, and generally not being someone he would consider dating. But after their DigiWorld adventures, where she had grown and changed so much he was finally able to see her true outstanding qualities of sincerity and honesty, he had developed a liking for her. Her recent style change--from country to sleek, pink cowgirl hat to pink hair--appealed to him, too. She was the most popular girl in school but was no longer snotty about it. She had become a beautiful, caring fourteen-year-old _girl_ , who hung with who she liked, had her own unique style, and made him wish he could go about asking her on a date.

 _Hey...spring dance...well-chaperoned, in public, get to put my arms around her...this might work._ Then he remembered his lack of dancing ability. _Scratch that._

On his way across the parking lot to his car--rather, his hand-me-down rattletrap--he bumped into Izzy.

"Hey, Joe."

"Oh, hi, Izzy."

"Are you on your way home?"

"Yeah...you want a ride?"

"Sure."

Izzy and Joe climbed into the station wagon. Joe's father had hit his mid-life crisis just before Joe's sixteenth birthday, and so since he'd bought himself a brand-new sportscar, and Jim had saved up and had his own new (used) car, Joe had bargained with his dad and bought the ancient family car for a song. (And the repainting of most of the apartment's interior.)

Gomamon and Motimon sat in the backseat. Izzy opened his laptop, but Joe started a conversation and for once he ignored the computer.

"Hey, Izzy, did you read about the spring dance?"

"Yes. Do you mean to say that you--Joe Kido--actually saw and comprehended a poster for a dance? Which evil Digimon took over _your_ body?"

Joe laughed. It was about the last thing he'd expected to ask Izzy about. "I was just wondering if you knew if anyone was going."

"Well, Tai and Sora, of course. T.K. and Kari are too young. And, um, Matt, me, and you don't have dates, and I haven't heard about Mimi. You don't have a date, do you?"

"No. Matt can get a date easily enough, but you and I have something in common in the fact that neither one of us really ever needed one."

"Need _ed_? You having girl troubles?" Izzy asked.

"I guess. Here's your apartment building."

"Yeah. See you later, Joe."

"Bye."

Izzy got Motimon out of the backseat and left Joe to worry over it himself.

* * *

Mimi stared at herself in the mirror. She was on the phone with Sora, painting her nails at the same time. "So I guess Tai's taking you to the dance next week?"

"Yeah. Can you help me pick out an outfit on Saturday? I'm taking an extended trip to the mall..."

"You bet! You know shopping is my kind of thing."

"That's for sure! Hey, what about you? Have you got a date? Are you even going?"

Mimi sighed. "I had a few offers today after they put up the posters, but no, I refused them all."

Sora laughed. "Well, you can afford to be picky. Me, I'm happy with Taichi and I'd never refuse him if I had hundreds of other guys asking, but you can turn 'em down. Waiting for any special guy?"

Mimi laughed. "Yeah. Prince Charming."

"Oh, come on, seriously?"

"Oh, Sora, I can't tell you. It's like telling someone a wish. It'll never come true."

"Come on...you know I won't laugh, or tell anyone else. Tell me tell me tellme tellme tellmetellmetellmetellmetellmetellme..."

"All right! I'll tell you!"

"That's better!" Sora laughed. "Now tell me!"

"Well, he's a tall, dark-haired, fair-skinned, dark-eyed upperclassman..."

"How old?"

"Sixteen."

"Oooh, Mimi, going for a real oldie, aren't we?"

"Sora! Be nice! I'm telling you, aren't I?"

"Yeah, go on. Is he cute?"

"He's hot! But..."

"But? I don't like buts from you, Mimi. They mean there's really something to be concerned about or you've slipped into being superficial." Sora, being her best friend, had right to insult her like that when it was necessary.

"Oh, Sora, he's never had a girlfriend, never been to a dance, nothing. He's kind of shy and quiet."

"Well? Who is he?" Sora burst out.

"You know him..." Mimi started.

"I didn't think I knew any shy, quiet, dark-haired hotties. Who?"

Mimi pulled in a breath. "Well, Sora...I have a crush on Joe."

Sora squealed. "Joe? _Our_ Joe? Joe _Kido_?"

"Yes, _our_ Joe! I want him to ask me to the dance, but he barely even knows I exist!"

"Well, do something about it! You have a lot of feminine charm on your side, Mimi. You can easily get him to notice you."

"I know, I can get any guy to _notice_ me, to _see_ me. But I don't want him to just be wowed by my looks. I want him to think of them as...as..."

"A side benefit in a great package deal?" Sora suggested.

"Yeah! Exactly! When I turn on the looks, turn on the charm, any guy will be my slave, but they never get to know _me_. I want him to be a friend _and_ a boyfriend."

"Oh, Mimi, just put yourself out there. Stop and talk to him once or twice. He'll get the message."

"Well, we'll see. Hey, what are you thinking of buying when we go shopping?..."

* * *

Joe slumped in his chair in front of his desk. He heard Jim drive up and enter the house. He left his nearly-finished homework and went to say hello.

"Hi, Jim, it's me."

"Well, me, you're being awfully sociable today."

"Ha ha. My homework is almost done. I need a snack. You came in. Perfect timing. We can share something to eat." Joe opened the fridge and began looking through its messy contents.

" _You_ , my young friend, have got something on your mind."

"Not that young. Only a year behind you. And what do you care if I _do_ have something on my mind?"

"Oh, come on, you _are_ my ototochan, as much as you hate to admit it. So what's going through that head of yours?"

Joe sighed, but thought about it. Who better to ask about this than his brother? His brother who had been dating since he was fourteen and going with the same girl for the past two years? "Hey, Jim, how did you ask Dana out?"

"I called her on the phone and asked if she wanted to go on a date."

"I mean, the first time."

"Oh! Well, that was different. Why? You got a girl troubling you? I heard from one of my friends that there's a dance coming up..."

"Yeah. I have a girl I want to ask to the dance."

"I see. I didn't know you could dance."

Joe blushed. "I can't."

"Can she?"

"Well, yeah. She's the most popular girl in school."

"There you go. Ask her to teach you to dance, so you can ask 'a girl', so you get all that alone time beforehand, and then when you're done tell her the girl is her."

Joe tilted his head. "That could work...she's DigiDestined, so it's not like she doesn't know me..."

"Perfect! Do you need any more help?"

"No..."

"Then get back to your homework."

* * *

The next day, Joe stopped at Mimi's locker and waited for her to show up.

She was surprised to see him there, and her heart skipped a beat. _Maybe he's going to ask me to the dance!_

"Hi, Mimi," he said, casually. At least he tried. It sounded funny, very tense to him.

"Hi, Joe," she said, almost equally nervous.

"I...I have something...something to ask you."

"Oh?" Mimi tried to keep herself calm, thinking she knew what was coming.

"I...that is...can you...could you...could we...can you teach me to dance?"

Mimi shrank back. "What?"

"You see, there's this girl...I want to take her to the dance a week from tonight and I can't dance."

Mimi wanted to cry, but she couldn't. And she couldn't tell him no. She had no good reason not to. Besides, this way she could enjoy the time in his arms, touching him, being near to him... "Of...course...Joe...can you came over to my place tonight?"

His heart rose within him. And yet... _She looked like she was repulsed by the idea! But at least she hasn't turned me away!_ "Tonight's great!"

* * *

Mrs. Tachikawa watched as her daughter sorted through her CD collection, placing the ones with any good dancing music in a pile, ready and waiting by the stereo.

"Now, Mimi, dear, tell me again who's coming over?"

"He's just a friend, Mama. Remember I told you there are other kids with Digimon like Palmon?"

"Yes, I remember that. You call yourselves...DigiDestined?"

"Yes. Joe is one of us DigiDestined, and he wants a crash course in dancing because he wants to ask some girl to the Spring Dance next Friday."

"You think you can teach him in six nights?"

"I'll teach him in two." Mimi pulled a CD from the bottom of a stack. "Hey! This is my Britney Spears CD from America! I've been looking for this!" She tossed it toward the pile of ones to teach Joe to dance to. "Mama, there's a picture on the bedside table of all us DigiDestined if you want to see a picture of him."

Mrs. Tachikawa picked up one of the frames with bright pink butterflies on it. "This one?"

"Yes. He's the tall one, third from the left. The one with glasses and Gomamon sitting on his head."

"I'm not sure what a Gomamon is, but there's only one kid with any Digimon on his head. Tall, dark hair, dark eyes?"

"Yeah."

"He's pretty cute, hon," Mrs. Tachikawa told her daughter.

"Oh, Mama, we're just friends. Don't be silly."

Mrs. Tachikawa smiled. "Well, all right, dear, if you insist, I won't say anything."

The doorbell rang. Mimi looked up from her CD pile. "That must be him." She went to get the door and her mother left the room, too.

* * *

Joe stood at the door. "Hi, Mimi," he said as she answered.

"Hi, Joe! I figured we'd get right to work. Come on, I have plenty of music ready..." She grabbed his arm and dragged him to her room.

He'd been there before, but never without the other DigiDestined. He now took time to notice the vibrant pink of the walls and the many cool accessories scattered about. He was sure he'd never seen so much pink leopard print. He saw a throw pillow with the word "Princess" embroidered across it, and a myriad of things with fuzzy fabric and bright colors.

"What dances do you want to learn?" she asked, jerking him out of his state of observation. She looked so hot with that hand on her hip, remote in her hand to start whatever necessary music.

"Whatever they're likely to do at the dance."

She sighed. "This could take a while."

They spent two hours with all the dances that were popular. None of them required that they touch in any manner other than to hold hands occasionally.

Joe caught on quicker than Mimi had dared to hope, maybe he would only need one lesson despite her generosity in putting her guess down at two.

He was about to suggest that they try a slow dance when he noticed the clock. "Oh, Mimi, I need to hurry home. We didn't get to do any slow dances. I can't come over the weekend, and I have a big test to study for Monday night. Can I come Tuesday night at the same time?"

Mimi nodded. "I don't have any plans."

"Okay, then, 'bye!"

Joe left in a hurry. Mimi shut off the music and called Sora. When Sora was finally on the line, Mimi burst into tears.

"Sorrrrraaaaa! He doesn't like me at aaaaall!"

"Mimi, what happened?" Sora asked. Mimi had told her about the dance lesson, and Sora had been almost as happy for Mimi as Mimi had been herself.

"Oh, Sora, we danced for two hours--we didn't get to do any slow dances--he's coming again Tuesday--he's better than I thought--but he...just... _leeeeeffffft_!"

"He didn't ask you?"

"Remember, he said he had someone he wanted to ask. I should have known better than to get a crush on a guy so much older. He's probably got some blond sophomore chick..."

"Mimi! Settle down! I'm sure someone else will ask you to the dance. You won't be short a date."

Mimi sniffled. "I know...but...I wanted _hiiiiim..._ "

"I know, but there's nothing you can do but accept someone else's offer and hope to have a good time."

"How can I have a good time if he's there swinging with some ditzy chick?"

"Oh, Mimi. You can be a heartbreaker, too. Wait until a really, really hot guy asks you, and flaunt him in Joe's face. It'll serve him right for missing out on a date with the coolest chick ever!"

Mimi decided that Sora was right. "Okay. I'll do it."

* * *

Monday afternoon, Mimi was kicking a soccer ball around the school field. She wasn't playing, but just bored.

"Hey, Mimi," a voice called from behind her. She turned to see Matt.

"Hey, Matt. What's up?"

"Well, I was wondering if you had a date for the dance yet."

Mimi looked at him. The way Matt carried himself, his smooth attitude towards girls, his incredible hotness...it was enough to melt any girl's heart, and Mimi was no exception. Sora had said to get herself a hot guy...what guy was there hotter than Ishida? "No...I don't."

"Oh, that's cool. Would you like to go with me?"

"Sure!"

"I'll warn you, a few of my friends and I got together a band and the dance is our first gig. I just sing, though, until I get a little better with the guitar, so at the dance I won't have to be up there during the instrumentals. That's the stuff that's really fun to dance to."

"All right. Pick me up at seven and don't be late."

He nodded and she ran off.

* * *

The next night Joe showed up at her door. Again, she led him into her room and started the music, only this time the music was considerably slower.

"Okay, Joe, when you go to hold your girl, you do it like this." She took his hands in her own and wrapped his arms around her body just right, carefully placing his hands where they needed to be.

It felt so good. She reveled in it. Sure, she had a date with Matt, but it was just that--a date. She wasn't going to be his girlfriend or anything. She didn't care about him _that_ way.

Joe was enjoying his own part of it, and for a few heart-pounding seconds he was tempted to abandon his plan and just lean down and kiss her like he had been longing to do. The heat of her body so near his own made his blood race...

She broke his trance before he could follow its impulses. "And then the steps are like this," Mimi said, moving her feet, letting him follow for a moment. Then she let him lead. They danced around her room, silent, looking into each other's eyes.

_Mimi...you shouldn't be thinking like this...he's already found a girl, and apparently he's pretty happy with her. He's thinking of her now, you can see it in his eyes, and he's dreamily happy. Don't complicate things for him. Besides, you have a date for the dance. If this girl says no, or if she says yes and then dumps him afterward you can make a move._

_Darn, Mimi, did you have to be so hot tonight? You're so gorgeous...you make me want to just kiss you now and take you out joyriding and then we can get out somewhere and I can hold you in my arms, just like now, with no music but your own sweet voice, and go on dancing forever and ever and ever..._

Mimi decided she had better break the spell before it got them both into trouble. "So...who's the lucky girl?" she asked him.

Almost immediately his arms pulled away from her body, just a little. "I...I uh..."

"Oh, it's okay if you'd rather not say right now. Say, Tai and Sora, you and your girl, and me and Matt could all go together! Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"You and Matt?" Joe pulled himself entirely out of her embrace.

She misread his action. "He won't mind that I'm helping you out. It's just one date for us, anyway."

"Uh, Mimi, have I learned everything I need to know about dancing?"

"Well...yes..."

"Then I need to go. Uh, bye!" He ran for the door and was speeding off as fast as his station wagon could take him.

Mimi sank to her floor and began to cry. "I can't believe he's so eager to leave me! Why me? Why is Sora so happy and I fall for a guy who will never like me?"

* * *

Joe turned his radio on and up on the way home. He found music similar to what Mimi had played the night he'd learned the modern dances, and comforted himself with the fact that he could listen to her music and be reminded of her. He'd been right all along, he didn't belong in her group. She was better suited with someone like Matt, someone cool. He was sure Matt could make her happier than he could.

_Why did I ever have to fall for her?_

* * *

Things went along the rest of the week, Sora called Mimi every night after her date with Tai so Mimi could whine about Joe. Sora put up with it in a "this too shall pass" attitude.

Mimi moped around the house, not daring to tell her mother or her father what had happened. She was sure they would never understand, especially since she had a date with Matt, and she'd probably get in trouble for a having a guy she had a crush on in her room.

Joe moped just as much, until finally Jim made him tell him what had happened.

"Oh, Joe. Now you're up a creek."

"I knew that!"

"If you don't show, she'll know, and if you do show, she'll really know. Of course if you don't show, even alone, she'll be mad that you didn't at least come to show off your new moves."

"So what do I do?" Joe asked his brother, exasperated.

"Go and show off those moves! I saw you practicing, you're pretty good."

"Really?" Joe brightened, dreams of Mimi seeing him dance and leaving Matt in a cloud of dust for _him_ dancing in his mind.

"Well...for a beginner."

Joe sweatdropped. Finally he said, "Well, okay, I'll go."

* * *

The night of the dance, Mimi put on her new outfit. She'd taken Sora shopping and bought herself an outfit, too.

Mimi thought she looked pretty good in the short, close-fitting blue skirt and matching-color t-shirt with the hot pink butterflies all over it.

Matt wasn't late, in fact he came early to get there in time to help the band with final preparations. He was in a black dress shirt and blue jeans, and Mimi couldn't help but notice how little it affected her. _All the girls there will be swooning and here I am not caring less. I must have it_ bad _for Joe._

At the dance, Matt went over with his band, and left Mimi to fend for herself.

She quickly found Tai and Sora.

The outfit she'd helped Sora pick had had the desired effect on Tai, judging by the huge goofy grin on his face. Sora was in a swingy, knee-length dark green skirt and a lighter green button-front shirt over a black t-shirt.

"Hey, girl!" Mimi cried. "What's up?"

"Not much until Matt's band gets going."

"Yeah, the school people have been playing seventies music..." Tai said.

Mimi sweatdropped. "Eww..."

Finally, Matt's band got going. Matt sang one song, and then he left the stage to dance with Mimi while the band played instrumentals.

Mimi was having a "good time," but she wasn't really thrilled, truly enjoying herself. Matt held her very close and she could feel his breath on her neck, but it was meaningless to her as long as she thought of Joe.

About an hour into the dance, Matt got up to sing a few songs. Tai took Mimi for one spin around the floor on Sora's suggestion, but it wasn't a slow dance.

During the time Matt was singing, Joe walked in. Mimi was the first to see him.

"Hi, Joe!"

"Mimi!" He came over to her.

"Hey, where's--oh, she said no, didn't she? I'm sorry, Joe."

"It's all right, Mimi. I figured I may as well come and show off what I learned anyway."

Mimi smiled. "Well, you need a partner. Since my date has abandoned me--" Mimi held out a hand toward the stage-- "I'd be glad to fill in until he finishes."

"Okay."

 _At least we can have one dance together..._ Joe thought.

 _At least I'll have one dance that feels right..._ Mimi thought.

The music changed to a slow song just then, and Mimi stepped into his arms. She reveled in his gentle touch, he was glad for the chance to give it. If only it could go on forever.

After that song, Matt started on the next. "It's tearin' up my heart when I'm with you, but when we are apart I feel it too, and no matter what I do I feel the pain, with or without you..."

 _How uncanny,_ Joe thought, letting go of her for the faster dance.

_Joe, that's how I feel now..._

"Hey...  
Baby, I don't understand,  
Just why we can't be lovers.  
Things are getting out of hand,  
Trying too much, but baby, we can win,  
Let it go...  
If you want me, girl, let me know  
I am down on my knees,  
I can't take it anymore

It's tearin' up my heart when I'm with you,  
But when we are apart, I feel it too,  
And no matter what I do, I feel the pain  
With or without you...

Baby, don't misunderstand  
What I'm tryin' to tell ya,  
In the corner of my mind,  
Baby, it feels like we're running out of time  
Let it go...  
If you want me, girl, let me know  
I am down on my knees,  
I can't take it anymore

It's tearin' up my heart when I'm with you,  
But when we are apart, I feel it too,  
And no matter what I do, I feel the pain  
With or without you...

Tearin' up my heart and soul,  
When we're apart I feel it too,  
And no matter what I do, I feel the pain...  
With or without you...

It's tearin' up my heart when I'm with you,  
But when we are apart, I feel it too,  
And no matter what I do, I feel the pain  
With or without you...

And no matter what I do, I feel the pain  
With or without you..."

_Should I tell her?_

_Will Matt be hurt? It was never going to be more than one date even if Joe's mystery girl had come, and since she turned him down, I have a chance..._

"Mimi?" Joe asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Yes?" Mimi asked him excitedly.

"Can we get off the dance floor for a minute?"

"Sure..."

Joe took her arm and led her towards a dark corner of the room. "Mimi, my date never said no. I just didn't get a chance to ask her. I was going to Tuesday night but she let me know before I got a chance that she had already accepted an invitation to go with one of our school's most popular guys. I decided to just back off if it made her happy. Most people think that they make a great couple, he's the most popular guy, she's the most popular girl, if they were old enough for prom they'd probably be homecoming king and queen."

"Joe, why are you telling me all this?"

"Because all of a sudden I'm not sure he's making her happy. Mimi, are you having a good time with Matt? Really? Are you happy?"

Matt was still singing in the background. She thought it might hurt him, but it would just have to hurt him, then. The bearer of the Crest of Sincerity couldn't lie about a matter so close to her heart.

"Oh, Joe...you're right...I'm not happy. The only one who can make me happy...is you!"

Joe's eyes widened in surprise and his glasses slid down his nose. "Me?!"

She pushed the glasses back into place. "I was hoping all along that you'd ask me to the dance, and when you left the other night, I thought you had someone else to ask...so when Matt asked me, I had no idea that you wanted to...oh, Joe!" She threw herself into his arms and he hugged her back.

Another slow song had started and they stepped out onto the floor. This time she leaned into him, and he caressed her gently while they turned. About halfway through the song she looked up into his dark eyes at the same instant he looked down into her brown ones, and the look carried a feeling so intense that neither one could stop themselves from carrying out the impulse that Joe had barely been able to repress only a few nights before. Their lips met in a passionate kiss.

The song abruptly ended. Matt stopped singing and the band screeched to a halt. Matt jumped down off the stage and walked up to Joe, putting a hand on his shoulder and jerking him away from Mimi. "What do you think you're doing with my date?"

Mimi stood between them, her shoulder under Joe's arm. "Matt, he isn't doing anything that I don't want him to..." Matt dropped his hand from Joe's shoulder down to Mimi's and pulled her away from him, pushing her behind him.

Mimi tried to get Matt to stop. "Matt, I said--"

Matt wasn't listening to her. "Joe, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Joe quivered, but stood his ground. If he was going to get beat up over Mimi it might as well be sooner than later. "I say that I care about her more than you ever did, and that her wishes should be our command. Whoever she chooses, it should be her choice."

Matt frowned. "All right, Mimi? Which of us is it?" He turned around to face her.

Mimi had tears in her eyes. She should have come alone, she never should have accepted Matt's offer. Now her new-found love and an old, dear friend were going to fight, and she had clearly made her choice. "Matt, I'm sorry, but I wanted Joe to ask me to this dance anyway. A little misunderstanding made me think that he was going to ask someone else, so I accepted your invitation, but Joe and I both found out that we've had...feelings...toward each other for quite a while...and when he kissed me...I wanted him to as much as he wanted to do it."

Sora had come up behind her best friend during her little speech, and was ready to take Mimi's side.

"If that's what you want, Mimi, fine with me," Matt said. "Sorry I had to make such a big deal." He turned to go back up on stage.

She caught his shoulder and turned him to face her. "Don't be mad, please, Matt. I don't--never did--truly care about you like I do Joe, but for there to be a rift among us DigiDestined would be horrible. No hard feelings?" She stuck a hand out toward him.

"No hard feelings," Matt agreed, and shook her hand. "In fact, the next song's for you."

Matt got back up on stage and sang a slow but happy love song. Mimi and Joe enjoyed the slow dance.

After that song, Joe drove Mimi home. She clung to his arm as much as she could without hampering his driving. "Hey, Mimi, let's go on a real date tomorrow night," he suggested.

"Okay, on one condition."

"What's that?"

"Monday morning at school, I get to start calling you my boyfriend."

"You can start now, _girlfriend_."

"Okay," Mimi smiled.

He leaned down and kissed her again. "See you tomorrow night?"

"I'll call you tomorrow morning."

"I won't drive off until I know you're in your apartment."

"Okay." She got out of the car and left, waving when she reached her door. He flicked the lights and drove off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season Two. A few years later, Mimi moves to New York City. With technology, leaving behind her friends in Japan doesn't seem so bad, until Joe decides that a long-distance relationship isn't fair to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote this, I didn't know that D-Terminals came from the DigiWorld. For the sake of the story, the older kids all got theirs from Mimi and the new kids got theirs from the DigiWorld.

Mimi was excited to the depths of her soul. She'd just had her longtime dream come true. Her parents had informed her that they were moving to America! _New York City! This is the thrill of a lifetime! Wait until I tell Sora and Joe!_ They knew she'd wanted to go, and now she was going! _I'll become a fashion diva! Everyone will admire me!_

Her fantasy was interrupted by her phone ringing. "Moshi, moshi, Tachikawa desu, Mimi's line."

"Mimi! What's up?" Sora asked.

"Sora! Oh, Sora, I just got the most exciting news! Dad's getting transferred...to _New York City_!"

They screamed excitedly, in unison.

"Oh, Mimi, it's just what you always wanted!"

"I know! Isn't it exciting?!"

"Yeah!...Hey, Mimi, when are you going? How much longer will we have together?"

"Oh." Mimi had not thought of that. She would be seeing a lot less of Sora, and...Joe! Oh, great, she was going to have to make up to him, big time. "We're leaving in two weeks."

"So you can get there in time to go to school, right?" Sora asked.

"Right." Mimi looked out her window at the huge August moon. "Can we talk tomorrow, Sora? I need to call Joe and set up a date so I can tell him."

"Sure, Mimi," Sora said, sympathetically. "I'll meet you at the mall at ten."

"Great! See you there!" Mimi got off the phone and dialed up Joe.

"Moshi, moshi, Kido desu."

"Hello, Jim? Can I speak to Joe, please?"

"Sure, just a minute." Mimi heard what he said even thought he put his hand over the phone. "Hey, _Jooooo-oooooe_! It's your _girrrrrlllllfrieeeeennnnnd_!!!"

Joe was quickly on the phone, shooing his brother out of the room. "Hey, what's up?"

Mimi smiled at him, even though he couldn't see it. "Joe-kun, we need to talk."

"So let's talk, then," he said.

"I mean, _really_ talk. _In person_. Can we go out tomorrow night? It's Saturday, so you shouldn't have anything planned--"

"I'm free. What's so important?"

"I'd rather wait, and tell you there."

"Well, okay. I'll be counting the minutes."

She laughed. "Okay."

* * *

She and Sora had a heart-to-heart the next day over new outfits and accessories, and burgers from the food court. They decided that it shouldn't affect their friendship, they'd just be on the phone and e-mail and instant messaging a lot more.

That night, however, Mimi was a lot more nervous. She and Joe were really close, but she was sure that a long-distance relationship would really put a strain on them.

"Joe," she began, after they'd ordered. "I have some good news and some bad news."

"What is it, Mimichan?" he asked, reaching across the table and taking her hand. "You can tell me."

She sighed deeply. "The good news is, I'm finally going to New York City. The bad news is, it's permanent."

"What?" Joe frowned. "What are you saying?"

"Daddy got transferred, Joe-kun. We're leaving in two weeks. We're going to live in New York City."

Joe frowned. "But, Mimi, when will we see each other, talk to each other?"

"Oh, Joe, I don't know. Sora and I talked and we're still going to call and e-mail and still be best friends, but...you and me...I don't know." Mimi started crying quietly. "I just don't know."

"Mimichan, we'll still call and talk and all that. But that's not what I'll miss." He was referring to kisses and embraces and caresses and holding her hand.

"I know. But there's nothing we can do."

"I guess not."

* * *

During her last two weeks in Tokyo, Mimi let her mother pack her stuff for her while she went around hanging out with her friends. Not her school clique, who would soon find another popularity queen, but her real friends, the DigiDestined. She crammed in as many dates with Joe as she could in the short time, but she knew it would never be enough. She didn't want to go, she wanted to stay forever, in his loving arms, and to land's end with what the rest of the world thought. But she didn't dare back out now--she had wanted to go to New York City for as long as she could remember, and if she suddenly changed her mind her parents would throw a fit.

Sora threw her a surprise going-away party, with only the DigiDestined invited. Mimi said goodbye to most of them then. The next day, she stood waiting at the airport in Joe's arms. Sora would have been there, but she'd had "things to do". Mimi suspected it involved a lot of crying and holding herself back so that she could spend the last minutes with Joe alone.

"Mimichan, I'm going to miss you."

"Oh, Joe, I'll miss you, too." Mimi cuddled her face into his shoulder and cried unashamedly.

"Mimichan, Mimi, we'll talk, we'll write. We won't lose touch."

"I--I know--but--Joe-kun--it won't be the same!"

"Gate 237 now boarding!" the intercom announced.

"Mimi!" Mrs. Tachikawa called. "Hurry up, honey, that's our flight!"

Joe bent down and kissed Mimi passionately, letting his every drop of feeling enter her. "I love you, Mimichan..."

Mimi blinked. "I--I love you, too, Joe. Goodbye!" Mimi turned and ran to join her parents. She turned back, and as her mother took her hand and began dragging her to the plane, she yelled for the entire airport to hear, "I love you, Joe-kun!!"

"Goodbye, Mimichan! I love you too!"

* * *

Joe drove home in his car. He'd finally saved up a lot of money and traded the rattletrap station wagon he'd driven for a used--but sleek and stylish--teal-green convertible.

Gomamon popped up out of his medical bag in the backseat and crawled up to sit next to him. For once, Goma was silent. Joe wasn't sure whether he was so depressed that he was rubbing off on his Digimon, or if Goma could actually tell that he wasn't up for one of their playful arguments. Instead, the seal-like digimon curled up against him and fell asleep, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Joe had thought that his going off to college at the start of the school year would put the distance between him and Mimi, but at least that way he was closer to home and could see her on weekends and holidays. Now he'd practically never see her in person. Maybe she'd come and stay a month with Sora during the summer. But this--this was awful. He loved her, not with the teenage first love he'd had for her when they'd started dating, but he was honestly beginning to think of her in marriage terms. Now he might never be able to tell her.

* * *

Mimi got settled in her seat, Palmon in the seat next to her, sleeping comfortably. She pulled out her D-terminal.

The little palmtop computers were the latest rage in Tokyo. They had Internet, e-mail, and instant messaging, as well as being able to store files. Since she was going away, she'd bought one for each of the DigiDestined to make it easier to keep in touch.

She opened hers and started it. "Oooh! Sora's on!"

She instant-messaged back and forth with Sora for a little while, but Sora had to get off, and what Mimi really wanted was to talk to Joe, who wasn't on. Mimi decided it couldn't hurt for her to follow Palmon's example and catch a few Z's to help cope with the jet lag.

* * *

Mimi quickly settled into her new home, new routine, new school. She found herself quickly among the popular group. Rather than trying to conform to New York's style, she wore what she knew was popular in Japan and became a trendsetter. She made a few friends in the popular clique, but she didn't really get close to anyone. She was still in touch with Sora and Joe, and her other DigiDestined friends.

Until, of course, the one day she got in an argument with Palmon.

Mimi was cutting through Central Park on her way home. Palmon was complaining about the cramped space of Mimi's bookbag and saying she should get a larger one, and Mimi was saying that she'd spent a fortune on the designer pink bag. Then Palmon began complaining about how that had never bothered her before, and began wriggling around and got her head out of the bag so Mimi could hear her better. Mimi had set the bag down and knelt next to it to reprimand Palmon for letting herself be seen in public like that.

"Excuse me?" a voice said.

Mimi looked up.

There stood a boy her own age that she'd seen around school, in a few of her classes. He was a little taller than her and had longish, corkscrew-curly blond hair. He was staring at Palmon.

 _He's kind of cute._ Mimi blushed, partly from Palmon's antics and partly from her own thoughts of the boy. "See, Palmon?" she murmured. Then, louder so the boy could hear, "Yes? Did you want something?" _He's going to ask what Palmon is and spread it around school that the new girl has an alien friend. My life is over..._

She noted how deep his voice was as he spoke again. "My name is Michael, and this may sound like a strange question, but is your little friend there a digimon?"

 _What?!!?_ Mimi's jaw dropped. "Why, yes, this is Palmon...but how could you know that she's a--"

Michael set his own backpack on the ground and knelt next to it. He unzipped it, and out crawled a basketball-sized green creature with red stripes and a red fin down its back. Its overall shape reminded Mimi of her Otamamon friends. "This is my friend, Betamon."

Mimi gawked.

"I saw you having conversations with your backpack all the time, and then today when--Palmon--popped out, I just had to know. I wanted to know that I wasn't the only one."

"No...no, you're not...there's seven more of us DigiDestined back where I come from..."

"Seven?! Wow...We're called DigiDestined, huh? That's cool. Say, what did you say your name was?"

"I'm Tachi--" Mimi caught herself. _Given name first, then family name. Silly Americans._ "My name is Mimi, Mimi Tachikawa."

"Mimi Tah-chee-kaw-a. That's an interesting name."

"Thank you."

"Well, Mimi, I think the least I could do--if you have the time--is take you out for a milkshake and we could exchange stories."

Mimi nodded. "I'd like that. I'm just as curious to hear your story as you must be to hear mine."

* * *

It turned out that Michael had become a DigiDestined at the same time Mimi and her friends had. He had faced Gorillamon in New York with Betamon while the kids were fighting Myotismon in Tokyo.

It surprised Mimi to know that there were other kids. She wondered if maybe there were even more kids around the world. But she didn't have long to think about it before Michael walked her home.

"I had a great time, Mimi. It's so wonderful to know I'm not alone in being DigiDestined."

"I had a good time, too, Michael. I'll see you in school tomorrow?"

"Yeah. See you." He flashed her a smile as he left.

 _He's so cute...and nice, too...and DigiDestined._ Mimi was so distracted as she walked to her room, she could barely hear her D-terminal beeping. When it finally dawned on her what the sound was, she found Sora quite impatient.

They instant-messaged. Sora told Mimi that the "new DigiDestined", Davis, Cody, and Yolei--and, more recently, Ken--wanted to meet her. "They've met the rest of us. Can you fly to Tokyo sometime soon?" Sora had typed.

 _I want to meet them, too. Ever since Sora told me about these new kids I've wanted to see what they're like._ "Remember school?" Mimi typed back. "It may be Christmas before I'm free. :-("

"^.^** Well, come Christmas, can you come stay a week with me?????"

"I get out of school for two weeks. I can spend one with you and one here with my family."

"Sounds like a plan--hey, Joe's on, I'll let you go."

"OK. Bai bai!"

Mimi then got an e-mail from Joe. "Mimichan? Are you there? I want to call, on the phone."

He always e-mailed to check. She e-mailed him back. "Ready and waiting!"

In a few minutes her phone rang. "Moshi, moshi, Mimi here!"

"Mimichan...love...it's been a while since we've talked."

"Joe-kun...ohh...yes, it has..."

"And there's been a reason. I've been thinking."

 _What? Has he found another girl? Could he really--_ "What's the matter, Joe-kun?" she asked, unable to keep the concern out of her voice.

"It's about us. I've decided that this whole long-distance relationship isn't fair to you. I'm nineteen, so I don't mind waiting for you. But, Mimichan, you're only seventeen. You should be out dating, having a good time."

"If I want a good time, I just call up some of my girlfriends. I don't miss guys and dating in general, I miss _you_."

"Mimichan, this is hard for me. Don't make it harder. I think there are only two fair ways to do this, and one I can't do right now. If you were a bit older, my age, I would ask you to marry me and the whole matter would be settled. But now, now you should be free. I'm sure there are guys in New York you'd like to go out with. I know you haven't, Mimichan, I trust you, but this has got to be hard on you. I want you to be happy. I'm going to wait for you, Mimichan. There is no other girl that could make me happy. But in the meantime, I want you to feel free to date other guys. I want you to quit calling me your boyfriend and have some fun while you're young enough to enjoy it. In two or three years, when you're old enough to promise yourself, I'll ask you to. And if you've found someone else that makes you happier, then I'm out of luck."

"You're dumping me?"

"No, I'm releasing you."

"But, Joe-kun, I'm happy. I love you. There are no other guys." _Is that true, Mimi? Just a few minutes ago you were all eyes for Michael._

"Mimichan--Mimi. Mimi, I can't hold you down like this. You have to fly and be free. We'll still talk if you want, but I'll keep my true feelings to myself."

"No! Joe-kun! I--"

He hung up.

Mimi hung up her phone and sank to the floor, tears cascading like a fountain. "But, Joe-kun...I love you with all my heart." _I may not be old enough in your eyes, but if you did ask me to marry you I'd gladly say yes and keep myself for you, no matter how long I have to wait. Until I'm nineteen, until I'm twenty-one, until you finish med school, until we're both old and gray..._ She let her tears fall and ignored the instant-message beep from her D-terminal. No one could help her, not even Sora.

* * *

Mimi said nothing to her school friends. None of them knew she'd had a boyfriend. Michael had found out that day, but she hadn't talked to him about Joe in detail. She talked with Michael almost exclusively from that point on. She saw the popular crowd in a different light, and she didn't want to deal with those emotionless, giggling ditzes. She knew she could be like that at times, too, but she had feeling underneath. She stood up for what she believed in. She wondered if any of those girls believed in anything.

Michael was more than glad to shower her with attention. She told him that Joe had "released" her, but she didn't say that his doing so made her feel more imprisoned than keeping herself for him had.

At first, Michael continued to be just a friend, but after a few weeks, when Mimi was returning to her more cheerful self, he asked her for a date.

"Michael," she said, "I don't care what he says. I'm not dating anyone else. I think when he realizes that I won't go on dates even when I'm free to do it, it will snap him back to the reality that I love him, and be a greater expression of my love than anything else I could have done."

Michael nodded. "Well, couldn't we just go out as friends?"

Mimi bit her lip. She knew she shouldn't. She knew better. But it sounded so tempting. _He's DigiDestined, after all. There's no reason we can't hang out as friends._

"There's a movie opening Saturday..."

Mimi nodded. "All right. Saturday afternoon, then?"

"Saturday afternoon," he smiled.

It caught her off guard again. _That was the stupidest thing you've ever done, Tachikawa Mimi!_ she screamed inwardly.

* * *

The next day was Friday, and she didn't get to talk to Michael. On Saturday, he picked her up at the appointed hour.

They saw a movie, and then Michael took her for pizza.

When he took her home, they stood right outside the apartment door.

"I had a good time, Michael. Thanks for taking me."

"I had a really good time, too, Mimi. I'm glad I finally got to take you."

 _Oh maaaaan, here it comes..._ she thought.

He put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her close to kiss her.

She tried to jerk back, she really did, but he put his hands around her waist and she couldn't. The kiss got deeper and less relenting until finally Mimi gave in. _May as well let him have his one kiss and get it out of his system._ She kissed back, just a little. _This isn't like Joe's kisses. Joe is better at this. Or maybe it's just because Michael is a different guy._

Michael took her tiny amount of encouragement the wrong way and the kiss became even deeper. They leaned against the wall. Mimi was glad her parents weren't home. They went on until finally they had to break for air.

"Michael."

"Yes, Mimi?"

"Don't you _ever_ do that again." Mimi grasped his arms and pushed them off of herself and went into the apartment. He tried to follow but she slammed the door in his face and locked it.

Immediately, she called Sora on her telephone.

"Moshi, mo--"

"Oh, forget it, Sora, I need to talk."

"Mimi! What's the matter?"

"Didn't Joe tell any of you guys what he did?"

"Nooooo..."

"Well, he broke up with me. He dumped me for me."

"What? Mimi? I feel like I should be saying, 'No way, he didn't!', but I'm not sure I understand."

"He decided that I should be free to date other guys, even though he's waiting for me."

"Just now?" Sora asked indignantly.

"No, actually, a few weeks ago. I figured he'd tell you."

"Oh, Mimi, I'm so sorry. Why didn't you call me then?"

"Because you couldn't have helped. But I need a listening ear now."

"Talk it out of your system, girl."

"One of the things I'm best at," Mimi said. "Look, I vowed to myself that even though I was free to do it, I wasn't going to date any guys. There's no one but Joe, Sora. He is my world. I love him. Well, I have this friend at school. His name's Michael. I told him about what Joe had done, and as soon as he sees I'm starting to be happy again in spite of what Joe did, he asks for a date. I told him no. Then he asks if we can go out as friends. I agreed, and everything was fine until just now, when he dropped me off. He forced a kiss on me."

"What?!"

"He put his arms around me and I couldn't get away, and he kissed me. I tried to resist at first, but then I figure if he gets it out of his system he might stop bugging me. So then he really kisses me. When he finally stopped, I got out of his arms and into this apartment as fast as I could."

"Oh, Mimi. Good for you. Do you think maybe he wants--"

"What? No! As persistent as he is I don't think he wants _that_ from me. And _that_ is one thing only Joe gets. After I get a ring and a ceremony."

Sora giggled. "So you think he's just too stubborn for his own good?"

"Yeah."

Sora sighed. "Well, this explains why Joe's been so depressed these past few weeks. I'll try to talk some sense into him. And, Mimi, don't worry. This has nothing to do with another girl."

Mimi bristled. "Did I say--"

"No, but you _thought_! I haven't been your best friend for nine years for nothing!"

Mimi laughed. "Fine. Thanks, Sora."

"You're welcome."

"Bye," Mimi said.

"Bye."

* * *

The next Monday at school, Michael apologized. "I'm sorry, Mimi. I shouldn't have kissed you like that when you didn't want it. This Joe fellow must mean an awful lot to you, and besides, if we started dating it would ruin a beautiful friendship. I...wouldn't want to lose contact with my only fellow DigiDestined."

Mimi accepted the apology and forgave him. "I know it must have been awfully lonely for you these four years before you knew about the rest of us."

"Well, think, I thought the fate of two entire worlds rested solely on my shoulders. I'm glad to have that weight lifted, or made lighter, at least."

Mimi shook her head, not able to even imagine such a feeling.

* * *

The few months passed quickly. Mimi tried to be herself for the sake of her few friends, and avoided guys altogether, except her "just" friend Michael. Finally, December rolled around. Plans were finalized, and she was off to spend a week with Sora.

Sora met her alone at the airport. She'd hoped Joe would have come for old time's sake at least.

"Mimi!"

"Sora!"

The two girls met in a giant hug.

"Did you have a nice trip?"

"Flying sucks," Mimi said, wrinkling her nose. "This one stewardess wore this _nasty_ perfume...but anyway, where is everyone? I'd braced myself for the welcoming committee."

"We'll meet up with them later, come on, Mom is waiting in the car. Let's get your bags and hurry."

Mimi had restrained herself and managed to get everything she'd need for the week into two suitcases. "Just be thankful I didn't let Mom pack," Mimi said as Sora groaned at the weight.

Soon enough, they walked into Sora's apartment.

"Surprise!"

Mimi gasped. All her old DigiDestined friends were there. Sora, of course, and Kari, T.K., Matt, Izzy, Tai...and Joe.

She ran to Joe first and threw herself into his arms, almost forgetting for a moment that he had broken up with her. "I missed you so much!"

There wasn't much he could do but hug her back, stiffly. "We all missed you, Mimi."

She noticed the "chan" that had disappeared, but she didn't make a fuss over it. She promised herself she'd get at least one date with him during this week. _Oh, Joe-kun. You don't get it, do you?_

Instead, she got into the groove of the party and had a good time for her friends' sake.

Afterward, Joe was the first to leave. _He probably finds it too hard to be around me. Joooooe-kuuuun!_

When everyone was gone and she and Sora were in their pajamas, and their two Digimon asleep, they laid in Sora's bed and talked about everything. "You didn't have to throw me another party," Mimi said.

"Yes I did! I'm sorry I couldn't get anything through Joe's head in time for him to give you a hello kiss."

"It's okay, Sora. I know more than anyone else how stubborn he can be."

"Still..." Sora said, feeling bad.

"Don't worry over it. In fact, I order you to change the subject."

Sora laughed. "So, how's everything in America?"

"Actually, remember I told you about that guy, Michael?"

"Yeah. Is he still on your case?"

"No. He apologized and he's my only real friend. What I wanted to tell you about him, is that I never told you he's DigiDestined."

"He's what?"

"I know, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out. He saw me with Palmon and asked if she was a digimon, and when I said she was he opened his backpack and showed me his digimon, Betamon."

"Betamon?"

"Think Otamamon, about this big--" --Mimi spread her hands-- "and with green-and-red stripes. And a red fin down his back."

"Wow." Sora shook her head.

"He has one of the old Digivices, like ours. He was fighting Gorillamon in New York City the exact same time we were dealing with Myotismon. He thought he was the only DigiDestined until he met me and I told him about our group in Japan. He didn't even know what we were called."

"Wow. I'll have to meet him sometime."

"Next time I come to visit I'll see what I can do about bringing him."

"Yeah. Just wait until we tell the others!"

"I know!" Mimi squealed.

* * *

They finally went to sleep around two o'clock and they found it tough the next morning.

"What's the plan for today?" Mimi asked, yawning widely.

"Nothing, really," Sora said. "I thought you might want to meet the new DigiDestined, but then I thought maybe you'd want to call Joe and go from there."

"I want to go on at least one date with him while I'm here, but I don't know what he'll do. Let's meet the new kids today. I'll call him tonight."

"All right," Sora said. "I'll call Kari and have her round up everyone at school."

"Okay!"

* * *

Sora and Mimi beat the new group to the school.

"They're coming," Sora said. "I can hear Yolei and Davis's banter from all the way down the hall."

Mimi laughed. A few minutes later she was introduced to the new DigiDestined team. She knew Kari and T.K., of course, but then there was the new leader, Davis Motomiya, who looked and acted a lot like Tai, Cody Hida, a quiet, younger boy, Yolei Inoue, a tall girl that Mimi immediately clicked with, and Ken Ichijouji, who Mimi thought was standoffish. Later Sora explained all the stuff about his having been the Digimon Emporer, and Mimi understood his reluctance.

After the introductions, the group went out for pizza--Mimi's treat.

That night, Mimi called Joe.

"Moshi, moshi, Kido desu."

"Jim? Is Joe there?"

" _Jooooo-oooooe_! It's your _girrrrrlllllfrieeeeennnnnd_!!!"

Mimi grinned. _Just like old times._

"Sorry about that, Mimi..." Joe said. "He still thinks that you're--"

"Why can't I be, Joe-kun?"

"I explained it to you, Mimi..."

" _Joe_. I have gone on _one_ date since that happened. It was a strictly friends date. He tried to kiss me and I pushed him away. He knew very well that I had you. He apologized and said that I must care an awful lot about you. We're friends now. And he was right. I _do_ care about you. If you want, I can give you his phone number and you can call him right now, on me, and ask him how miserable I was when you broke up with me."

"Mimi, it just isn't right."

"What isn't right is I have yet to get a hello kiss from you. All I ever wanted I found in you. Joe-kun, when Michael tried to kiss me, I couldn't help but feel what it was like. And you know what? It didn't affect me. It was just a kiss. Just my mouth and his touching. With you, something happens. My breath catches and I can't think and nothing is important to me but you. Joe, you have to believe me, I'm miserable not being tied down to you."

"Mimi, I can't. It wouldn't be right. I wouldn't feel right."

"Joe-kun, let's go on a date. You take me out once and just see how right it feels. I know that when I hugged you yesterday, up until you hugged me so stiffly like I was a stranger, it felt...so... _right_."

"Fine. When do you want to go, Mimi?"

"Anytime."

"You're leaving Saturday morning?"

"Yes."

"Then...how's Thursday night?"

"Perfect! I'll see you then, if not before."

"Bye."

"Bye!" Mimi hung up. "My work here is done," she told Sora. "If things go as planned, I'll have done everything I wanted while I'm in Tokyo."

* * *

The next day Mimi, Sora, Kari, and Yolei went on a shopping spree, again Mimi's treat.

"I can afford it. I'll never use all this money for myself," she reminded her friends. By the end of the day, Yolei looked up to Mimi practically like an older sister. The all-girl foursome spent much of the week together. On Wednesday, the old group and the new group all got together for a game of soccer. Of course, both teams were short members (soccer teams are supposed to have nine players), but no one minded. Mimi, Sora, Tai, T.K., Ken and Davis ended up beating Kari, Yolei, Izzy, Cody, Joe and Matt.

Izzy did a strange thing and asked all the old group to give him their Digivices. He said he was trying something out and needed all of them, as well as one of the new models, a D-3. Kari gave him hers.

When Thursday night rolled around, Mimi was almost as nervous as the first time Joe had taken her on a date. That had been after he'd admitted his feelings for her at the school's Spring Dance.

She played with her hair. She wasn't sure how he'd like the outfit she'd chosen--the one she'd been wearing at that dance.

"Mimi, Joe's car just pulled up outside!" Sora called from the living room.

Mimi came out into the living room and went out the door, not wanting Sora's parents to catch them and give the whole "Drive safely, be careful, be back by ten" speech. She sat on the balcony, watching him come from the street to the building, and then sat watching the sunset.

"Mimi?" she heard him ask.

She turned to face him. "Joe-kun!" She jumped down off the railing and into his arms. "I've missed you _so! much!_ "

"Mimi, don't get carried away."

"That's Mimichan to you."

"Mimi--Mimichan. It's been so long since I've called you that I've almost forgotten the sound of it."

"I never did," Mimi said in a whisper.

Joe was silent. They walked, arm-in-arm, down to his car. He opened her door for her, got in, and they were off.

He took her to see a movie; but it didn't interest her. She watched him instead.

_He still cares, I know he does. He's just too stubborn to admit it._

Joe was thinking his own set of thoughts. _She's serious. She really wants me to go back to the way things were. But I can't. I could never ask her to wait for me. She needs to be out there, have a chance to see that there are other guys out there. She's too young to make a decision like this. So no matter how much I want to, I can't let her know that I'm miserable, too._

When the mushy end of the movie came, Mimi put her hand over Joe's. He pulled away from her touch.

"Joe-kun..."

"No, Mimi."

At dinner Joe was as stiff as ever. He ate in silence, no matter how Mimi tried to persuade him to talk.

"Joe-kun, don't you still care? What happened? Is there--is there someone else?"

"Huh? No! There's no one else but you--" Joe stopped himself short. _I knew that I'd end up blurting that sooner or later!_

"You still care!" Mimi cried excitedly. She threw her arms around him, but he pushed her away. "Joe-kun? You _do_ still care about me, don't you?"

"Yes, Mimi. I care. I care enough to not let this happen. This long-distance relationship will never work. Come on, let's go home." He led her to the car and they drove home in silence, he being in too much inner turmoil to talk, and her too angry at him for not opening his heart to her like he once had.

She got out of the car and marched up to Sora's apartment with a stiff upper lip. She got into her pajamas and fell into bed without a word. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she burst into tears. "Joe-kuuuuunnnnn..."

* * *

The next day Mimi slept late. Sora finally woke her because she was bored being alone.

"What is it, Sora? Go away."

"I went to bed early, and so I want to know what happened last night."

Mimi sat up. Her eyes were still red from crying the night before. "He--he cares--but he won't let himself show it."

"Oh. He's still being stubborn?"

"Yeeeee-eeees!" Mimi started crying again.

"Well, that jerk. We have got to knock some sense into him."

"How?" Mimi asked between sobs.

Sora didn't answer.

* * *

Around noon, they got a call from Izzy. Both girls stood by the phone and Sora held the phone where they could both hear.

"Sora! Mimi! Everyone's coming to my place for a meeting. The new kids too. Can you be here by one?"

Sora glanced at the clock. "I think so, Izzy. We'll be there."

"All right. See you then. I have some more phone calls to make."

"Bye!" Mimi and Sora chorused.

"I wonder what it's about," Mimi wondered aloud as Sora hung up the phone.

"I bet it has something to do with our Digivices," Sora said.

"Oh yeah," Mimi said. She'd almost forgotten that Izzy had them.

The two hurried to get changed into nicer clothes, and then ran to get there on time.

They were the last ones to arrive. The meeting was going on in Izzy's room. "Now that you two have arrived, I can go on. First off, these are my Christmas presents to all of the old group." Izzy handed a small package wrapped in paper covered with holly berries to all the older kids. "Matt, Joe, Tai, Sora, and Mimi. Open them!"

The kids did so with curiosity, only to find their Digivices.

Davis gave Izzy a strange look. "Some present. You borrow their digivices and then make a big deal out of giving them back."

Izzy chuckled. "The present is in the fact that I modified them, speaking of which, here's your D-3 back, Kari." Izzy handed the pink Digivice back to its owner.

"What did you do to them, Izzy?" Tai asked.

"Observe," Izzy said. He took his own digivice and turned toward his laptop, which was booted and running. He held his digivice toward the monitor. "DigiPort open!"

Sure enough, it worked, even though it was an old-model Digivice.

Everyone stared in amazement.

"So our present is that we now have the ability to go back and forth to the DigiWorld whenever we want?" Matt asked. "Now _that_ is a cool present!"

Mimi started crying.

Sora put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Mimi, Mimi, what's wrong?"

"Wrong? Who said anything was wrong?" She walked over and into Joe's arms. "We can see each other anytime now," she said.

He hugged her tightly, and kissed the top of her head. "I know...I know..."

"Joe-kun?" she asked, looking up into his face.

"Mimichan..." he said quietly.

She stood on her tiptoes and he leaned down and kissed her.

"Oh, how _romantic_!" Yolei gushed.

"That's disgusting..." Davis said.

Kari came up from behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't know, Davis. I think I'll have to side with Yolei on this one," she said, tauntingly.

Davis sweatdropped. "Well, then again..."

Everyone laughed.

Davis looked down at Veemon.

Veemon looked up at Davis. "You don't need to ask me. Yes, you did it again."

* * *

The next day, Joe was there to say goodbye at the airport. Again, Sora had stayed away to give them their space, especially now that they'd just re-found each other.

He cradled her in his arms. "I'll miss you, Mimichan..."

"We'll be seeing each other every day," Mimi said.

"Yeah. But I can still miss you in between."

"You better!" she said, playfully bopping him on the arm.

"You don't have to tell me twice." He pulled her a bit closer.

She looked up into his deep, intelligent eyes.

They both moved at the same time and kissed.

_I was right, Michael's kiss was nothing compared to this!_

_I've missed this so bad...and now I'll get it every day! This is the best thing that ever happened to me!_

"Gate 135 now boarding!"

Mimi jerked back. She paused to catch her breath. "That's my flight..."

"Well, go on. Don't be late. Meet me for picnic lunch in the DigiWorld tomorrow? I'll bring the food..."

"You bet! See ya tomorrow, Joe-kun!"

Mimi ran off to catch her plane, and Joe just stood with a finger on his lips where they'd kissed.

"I love you, Mimichan!"


End file.
